1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Complaints

THE VAN STARTS BUT WILL NOT TAKE ANY GAS AND DIE IMMEDIATELY. IT WILL START ABOUT 4-5 TIMES THEN NOT START AT ALL. LIKE OTHERS WHO HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT, THE GAUGES ACT FUNNY THEN FLATLINE. IT USUALLY TAKES SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE IT WILL START AGAIN. I HAVE HAD A COMPUTER HOOKED UP TO IT BUT IT DOESN'T READ ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOT DEPENDABLE AT ALL. I HAVE REPLACED RELAYS AND GAVE IT A FULL TUNE UP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR LIGHTING FLASHES ON AND OFF AND THE DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS 155,000 MILES, BUT THE ODOMETER CURRENTLY DISPLAYS 855 MILES. IN ADDITION, ALL OF THE LIGHTS IN THE GEAR BOX (PRNDL) ARE DIM. THE DODGE DEALER STATED THAT THE BODY CONTROL MODULE FAILED AND COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $4,500. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

I HAVE A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN. THE FAN BELT SLIPPED OFF DURING A RAIN STORM, STRANDING ME AND MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN. I WAS TOLD BY THE AUTO MECHANIC THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MODELS 1996-2000. I HAD TO BUY A "GATES" FAN BELT KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. TWO YEARS LATER AND SIX KITS LATER THE FAN BELT IS STILL GIVING ME PROBLEMS. CHRYSLER SHOULD FIX THIS KNOWN DEFECT. *TR

VEHICLE STARTS & DIES, STARTS & DIES AND AFTER A FOUR OR FIVE ATTEMPTS...IT WON'T START AT ALL. AFTER A FEW HOURS OR DAYS IT WILL START RIGHT UP. WHEN IT DOES THIS THE GAUGES ARE ALL FLATLINED. SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING, THE GAUGES FLATLINE AND ALARM SET LIGHT COMES ON AS WELL AS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHT. NO CODES COME UP FOR THIS PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE $119 JUST TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY....NEW BATTERY, NEW STARTER...AMONG MANY OTHER NEW ITEMS. HAVE NOT REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH, BRAIN, OR INSTRUMENT PANEL. HAVE BEEN TOLD IT COULD BE EITHER ONE OF THESE THINGS......I AM TIRED OF JUST PUTTING IN RANDOM PARTS. *TR

RE: 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY MILEAGE: 75,000 COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE - PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR - UNSAFE TO DRIVE. TOWED TO THE DEALER - DIAGNOSIS : CORRODED REAR BRAKE LINE. BEING REPAIRED NOW - WILL ASK FOR OLD PART TO BE SAVED. BRAKE LINES SHOULD LAST FOR LIFE OF VEHICLE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAULTY DEFECTIVE BRAKE LINE. NHTSA SHOULD REQUIRED CHRYSLER TO NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I HAVE READ OF MANY OTHER OCCURRENCES WITH THE BRAKE LINES ON THIS CAR. IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT THE PROBLEM ARISES AS A RESULT OF BI-METAL REACTION WHERE STAINLESS STEEL AND STEEL LINES ARE WELDED TOGETHER. THIS VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR OTHER WORK JUST FIVE MONTHS PRIOR AND I WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT THE BRAKE LINES WERE IN DANGER! *TR

MY AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF AND NOW IT JUST STAYS ON AND HORN DOES NOT WORK, I JUST LEARNED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CLOCKSPRING PART A FEW YEARS AGO BUT I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN APRIL OF 2006 AND A FEW MONTHS AGO I JUST HAD A BRAKE PROBLEM FIXED BECAUSE LIGHT CAME ON AND THAT COST OVER $400.00 WHICH I HAD TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT TO PAY FOR AS I AM ON DISABILITY AND COULD NOT AFFORD THAT AMOUNT SO I SURE CAN'T PAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS AGAIN FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A DEFECT. SO FAR HAVE NOT TAKEN IN TO BE CHECKED AS DID NOT KNOW WHAT PROBLEM WAS UNTIL I STARTED SEARCHING THE WEB, HAD ASKED OTHERS IN PRIOR MONTH BUT NO ONE KNEW WHAT COULD BE CAUSING IT AND HAD NO CASH TO TAKE IT IN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACTS OWNS A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAS REPLACED THE SERPENTINE BELT THREE TIMES. SHE FURTHER STATED THAT THE IDLER PULLEY WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH A KIT. WHEN THE PULLEY MALFUNCTIONS, IT ALLOWS THE SERPENTINE BELT TO DETACH. AS A RESULT, THE POWER STEERING FAILS AND ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS OVERHEAT. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT CANNOT PULL OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE MAY EXPLODE OR CATCH FIRE. THE FAILURE WAS INITIALLY NOTICED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN THE RAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TRADE IN THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND NO ONE HAS EVER INFORMED HIM OF ANY RUST LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MODIFIED BY THE BRAUN CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRANSPORTING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. THE CONTACT CALLED BRAUN CORPORATION FOR ASSISTANCE, BUT THEY STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,378 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 06/16/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THEY PUT THE FRAME BACK TOGETHER, THE ONLY SPOT WELDED WHICH ALLOWED WATER TO ENTER CAUSING THE FRAME TO RUST. UPDATED

HAS HAPPENED OVER 100 TIMES. DASHBOARD GAUGES ALL REMAIN AT ZERO, CAR WILL NOT START. TURNS OVER, THEN DIES IMMEDIATELY. I BELIEVE IT IS THE SECURITY SYSTEM KILLING THE CAR. AFTER 5 STARTS, WON'T EVEN TURN OVER. HAVE PAID FOR NEW ALTERNATOR, NEW STARTER, MECHANIC LOOKED AT NUMEROUS TIMES. **FINALLY FIXED** MECHANIC HAD ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH SAME PROBLEM. FOUND IT WAS THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH NEEDED REPLACING. AT A COST OF $700 FOR OTHER CUSTOMER. I WENT WITH A USED MODEL WHICH IS RISKY, BUT IT HAS NOT DONE THIS AGAIN AT ALL FOR 7 MONTHS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ON THIS SITE ABOUT THIS, AND I THOUGHT I WOULD HELP PEOPLE OUT WHO HAVE ALSO SPENT A TON OF MONEY ON THIS PROBLEM, WITH NO RESOLUTION. *TR

-GAUGES ON DASH LOOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING -WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES LIGHT UP ON INFORMATION CLUSTER -OFTEN CAR WILL NOT CRANK ENGINE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START, BANGING ON DASH WILL CAUSE GAUGES TO WORK, AND THEN CAR WILL START. SEVERAL TIMES CAR WILL START AND DIE AFTER A FEW SECONDS, AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS, CAR WILL NOT START FOR SEVERAL HOURS, LEAVING FAMILY STRANDED WITH NO TRANSPORTATION. *TR